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Latest On The Jonathan Papelbon/Bryce Harper Altercation

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Bryce Harper and Jonathan Papelbon had to be separated by teammates after a dugout altercation during the eighth inning of today’s game between the Nationals and Phillies.  As the MLB.com video shows, the two exchanged words before Papelbon grabbed Harper by the throat and shoved him towards the dugout wall.  The issue apparently stemmed from Papelbon’s displeasure that Harper didn’t run out a fly ball that inning.  Somewhat incredibly, Papelbon remained in the game to pitch the ninth inning and was rocked for five runs (two earned) in what ended up as a 12-5 Nationals loss.  Here’s some reaction from around the game to this bizarre incident…

  • “I’m in the wrong there,” Papelbon said afterwards to reporters, including MLB.com’s Jacob Emert.  “I’ve talked to Bryce and told him how we feel and we’re on the same page now, which is good….Sometimes in this game there’s a lot of testosterone and there’s a lot of intensity that spills over, and I think that happened today. For me, I can’t allow that to happen in the middle of a game. You handle that after the games or allow the manager to handle that. In that light of it, I’m wrong.”
  • The Nationals have no choice but to part ways with Papelbon in the wake of this embarrassing situation, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman opines.  The team may have to end up releasing him outright and eating the $11MM owed to Papelbon for 2016 given that his trade value is at rock-bottom.  As Heyman notes, “several – and I mean several – major-league GMs declared at deadline time they wouldn’t ever consider touching Papelbon” due to his reputation as a bad clubhouse personality.
  • Matt Williams initially told reporters that the situation was just “a family issue,” though he later clarified that he didn’t see the incident when it actually happened (via tweets from James Wagner of the Washington Post) and only saw footage after his initial talk with the media.  Williams stated that he’s “livid about it” and wouldn’t have allowed Papelbon to keep pitching had he initially seen what happened.  As you might expect, Williams was heavily criticized for both letting Papelbon stay in the game and then criticized again for not being aware of the altercation.
  • Williams is widely expected to be fired in the wake of the Nationals’ rough season, though Heyman reports that the Lerner family considered firing Williams weeks ago but decided to stay the course since the team was still in the pennant race.  GM Mike Rizzo will return in 2016 for “one more chance,” though Heyman wonders if the Lerners could or should make a next managerial hire themselves since Rizzo hired Williams.
  • The Papelbon/Harper skirmish “will be a symbol of an entire season when everything went wrong and every hidden structural weakness in the franchise was exposed,” Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes.  Rather than write off 2015 to injuries and Williams’ managerial tactics, Boswell argues that the Nationals should take the opportunity to examine factors like “organizational culture” to payroll flexibility to even Ted Lerner’s tendency to negotiate free agent contracts directly with agent Scott Boras.

Three Needs: Chicago White Sox

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MLBTR will provide a broader view of each club’s winter plans when our annual Offseason Outlook series kicks off at the end of the regular season.  Until then, the White Sox are the latest team to be featured in our quick look at this season’€™s non-contenders. We’ve already covered the Marlins, Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Brewers, Reds, and Phillies, and now let’s jump to the American League to look at the White Sox.  A high-profile 2014-15 offseason had Chicago looking to vault back into contention, but instead they head into the final week battling to avoid the AL Central basement.  Here are a few areas that the Sox will surely address in the coming months…

1. Improve the defense.  Heading into today’s action, the White Sox ranked last among all teams in UZR/150 (-7.0) and third-last in Defensive Runs Saved (-40).  Among Chicago players who played at least 900 innings in the field, second baseman Carlos Sanchez was the only one to post a positive UZR/150 or DRS total.  Jose Abreu and Adam Eaton at least hit well enough to overshadow their poor glove work, while Alexei Ramirez, Melky Cabrera, Avisail Garcia and Adam LaRoche all posted below-average hitting totals along with shaky defense.  The Sox can upgrade the defense at shortstop by declining their $10MM club option on Ramirez for 2016 (possibly replacing him with Tyler Saladino as a bridge to top prospect Tim Anderson, as CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes has suggested) and in right by moving Garcia to a part-time role.  Sanchez and Saladino haven’t shown much at the plate as big leaguers, though if they keep up their strong defense, the White Sox may be willing to live with a couple of weak lineup spots.  That said, if the team goes defense-first at a couple of positions, then they really need to focus on the other seven lineup spots in order to…

2. Improve the offense.  As noted, Chicago simply had too many players who weren’t contributing either offensively or defensively in 2015.  Aside from first base (Abreu) and center field (Eaton), you could argue that the White Sox could look for an upgrade at every other position on the field.  Chicago is still hopeful that prospect Micah Johnson can blossom at second base in the wake of a fairly lackluster rookie year, plus Saladino and Sanchez could yet perhaps form a defense-first platoon at short if Ramirez isn’t brought back.

Cabrera and LaRoche are owed a combined $25MM in 2016, making them virtually unmovable for trade purposes, so the Sox might consider some kind of timeshare between the two and Abreu, where Abreu plays every day at either first or DH and LaRoche/Cabrera is in the other spot.  Garcia probably won’t generate a big arbitration number in his first year of eligibility and he’s young enough to be kept, though an everyday spot has to be out of the question.  These moves would open up both corner outfield spots for either a new addition or rookie Trayce Thompson, who has been very impressive since debuting in August.

This leaves third base and catcher as possible areas that could be augmented by the addition of a proven regular.  The White Sox will likely try to bring back Geovany Soto to pair with Tyler Flowers, though Chicago could also decide to make a bigger splash with a larger-name backstop.

3. Decide on how much to spend this winter.  While not many of GM Rick Hahn’s offseason moves paid off, the White Sox aren’t in bad financial shape.  The club has roughly $88MM committed to nine players for 2016, and Flowers (who earned a modest $2.675MM in 2015) is probably the most notable of a handful of arb-eligible players.  Hahn could therefore have maybe $20-$25MM to work with if owner Jerry Reindorf is willing to match this year’s payroll figure.  This might not be a slam-dunk of an if, however — I could see Reinsdorf authorizing one major free agent signing but don’t expect a repeat of last winter’s acquisition spree given this season’s disappointing results.  Slowing down to a full rebuild isn’t likely given that the club doesn’t want to waste another season of Abreu or Chris Sale in their prime, though Hahn may have to get a bit creative in making additions or perhaps in swapping a bad contract or another.

Looking at the list of this winter’s free agents, there aren’t any third basemen on the open market who would merit a huge contract and no catchers either, save perhaps Matt Wieters (who is no sure thing given his injury history and underwhelming 2015 numbers).  This is just my speculation, but Ben Zobrist strikes me as a good free agent target for a White Sox team that is lacking at so many positions.  Zobrist’s versatility could allow the Sox to use him every day around the diamond, and give them some flexibility in addressing other spots.  If Chicago was to make just one “big signing,” a player like Zobrist would be a good fit.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Desmond, Bour, Harvey

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Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

  • Ian Desmond hinted that he is likely entering his last week in a Nationals uniform, as the free agent shortstop told the Washington Post’s James Wagner that “I know that there’s a new chapter looming” in his career.  It was a frustrating year for both the team and Desmond personally, as he has hit only .232/.285/.381 over 619 PA in his walk year.  “If anything weighed on me, it was the fact that this was most likely going to be my last ride and I really wanted to go out with a bang, not personally but as far as a team,” Desmond said. “I probably, at certain times, tried to do too much but I’m a trier, man. I wanna win. I’m extremely passionate about my teammates and this organization and winning.”  Desmond did say that he’s “open for whatever” in free agency and spoke of his pride in being a part of the first generation of Nationals baseball, so it’s perhaps not completely out of the question that he could re-sign with Washington.
  • Marlins rookie first baseman Justin Bour is making a strong case for an everyday job in 2016, FOX Sports Florida’s Christina De Nicola writes.  Bour had a .266/.326/.474 slash line and 21 homers in 420 plate appearances heading into today’s action, and he’s been particularly hot down the stretch, posting an .887 OPS in 94 September PA.  The left-handed hitting Bour has only a .597 OPS in limited at-bats against southpaws, but at worst he seems to have earned himself at least the lion’s share of a platoon for next year.
  • Matt Harvey threw 92 pitches over 6 2/3 innings on Saturday, and the Mets ace reportedly told manager Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen that he wants to make regular starts down the stretch, John Harper of the New York Daily News writes.  “When he came to me last week he said, ’€˜I want to pitch. I want to stay out there. I want to throw 100 pitches and I want to do it twice (before the end of the season),’ ” Collins described.  “He said, ’We’™re going to win this thing and I’m going to pitch in the playoffs, and I’€™ve got to be ready. And I’m not ready.’ ”  Harvey has now thrown 183 2/3 innings in his first season back after Tommy John surgery.  Ironically, since the Mets have now clinched the division, this might be the ideal time to shut Harvey down until the playoffs, though this innings-limit controversy may yet have a few more twists and turns.

Latest On Angels, Huston Street

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On Saturday night, Angels closer Huston Street had to be helped off the field after suffering a groin injury.  The team is still waiting for more information, but manager Mike Scioscia said the early prognosis is “not good,” as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes.  On Sunday, Scioscia added that the injury was “significant” (via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times on Twitter) and that doesn’t leave a ton of room for optimism as the Angels wait for the MRI results.  Here’s the latest on Street and how the Angels might explore their limited options at this stage of the season…

Newest updates

  • Street told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that he suffered a Grade 1 groin strain and will be out for the rest of the regular season.  Since a Grade 1 is the least-serious level of strain, however, there’s still a chance Street could return in the playoffs provided the Angels make it deep enough into the postseason.

Earlier today

  • Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (on Twitter) hears that there is “absolutely no chance” that 2014 first-round pick Sean Newcomb will come up to the Angels in reaction to the Street injury. The left-hander has worked his way up to Double-A this season. In total, Newcomb has 27 minor league starts to his credit with a 2.38 ERA, 11.1 K/9, and 5.0 BB/9.
  • Fletcher (on Twitter) hears that the Angels are trying to get a reliever from outside the organization to help bolster their bullpen.  However, at this point, they’re unlikely to get anyone of impact.  Furthermore, anyone they did acquire would not be eligible for postseason play.
  • Halos skipper Mike Scioscia confirmed that GM Bill Stoneman is looking “inside and outside the organization” for relief help, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
  • One possibility from within is Vinnie Pestano, Fletcher tweets. Pestano, who pitched to a 2.10 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 at Triple-A, is not currently on the 40-man roster.

AL East Notes: Ramirez, Red Sox, Rays

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New Red Sox GM Mike Hazen joined MLB Network Radio (Twitter link) to talk about a wide range of topics, including the divvying up of responsibilities in the revamped front office.  Hazen explained that he’ll be more based in the office while senior VP Frank Wren will have a heavier hand in the evaluation of players.  Unsurprisingly, he says (link) that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will be making the “final decision” on all personnel matters.

Here’s more from the AL East..

  • Hazen (link) says that the Red Sox are tentatively planning to look at Hanley Ramirez as a first baseman in spring training.  Ramirez was recently shut down for the year with a shoulder injury.  He hit just .249/.291/.426 at the plate while advanced metrics labeled him as a weak defender.
  • This offseason, Dombrowski will have to figure out what he’ll do with is trio of major league-caliber catchers, Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal writes. Boston could use one of its backstops in a package to land a frontline starting pitcher, but Christian Vazquez’s health might throw that plan into flux.  In order to trade Blake Swihart, the Red Sox would have to have confidence in Vazquez’s recovery from surgery, but his situation could still be murky come December or January.
  • Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times took a position-by-position look at how the Rays look heading into 2016.  At first base, the Rays have James Loney signed at an $8MM salary, but Topkin wonders if they might be better off trading him, even if they have to eat some of his contract.  Tampa Bay, he writes, could give themselves additional flexibility while opening a spot for Richie Shaffer, who would need to be paired with a lefty hitter.
  • Rich Hill has been excellent this month for the Red Sox and he could be carving out a spot for himself in the rotation in 2016, as Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe writes.  However, the 35-year-old says that he’s not thinking that far ahead.  “I don’t want to even go there, really,” he said. “Just really kind of focus in on tomorrow and get ready for that next start. You want to get to the finish line and worry about [next year] when it comes around.”  Hill, who previously owned a 4.72 ERA over parts of ten big league seasons, has a 1.17 ERA over three starts with 30 strikeouts and just two walks.

Reds Claim Tyler Holt Off Waivers

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The Reds have claimed Tyler Holt off waivers from the Indians, as Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets.  Holt was designated for assignment last week by the Tribe to make room for catcher Adam Moore on the 40-man roster.

Holt, 26, has struggled in fairly minimal major league time over the past two years.  In 703 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, though, he has put up an interesting .304/.398/.382 slash line.  As that would suggest, Holt doesn’t have much pop — he has just six career MiLB home runs. But he does offer some speed, and has swiped 45 bags in the highest level of the minors.

To make room for Holt on their 40-man roster, the Reds placed infielder/outfielder Kristopher Negron on the 60-day disabled list.

David Ortiz Maxes Out 2016 Option At $16MM

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After taking plate appearance No. 600 on Sunday, David Ortiz’s 2016 salary has now maxed out at a value of $16MM.  The slugger first got his option to vest for 2016 at a value of $11MM when he reached 425 plate appearances back in August.  Since then, however, he has boosted that total by $1MM each time he hit 475, 500, 525, 575, and 600 PAs, respectively.

Ortiz, 40 in November, hasn’t slowed down much in his old age. After an up-and-down first half of the season, Ortiz has turned it up to bring his slash line to .270/.357/.546 (heading into today’s game) with a whopping 36 home runs on the year.  The only thing now standing between the veteran and his $16MM payout for next season is a physical, as the option is contingent on a clean bill of health.  However, he seems rather healthy as he turns in another stellar season as Boston’s DH.

Ortiz is a veteran of 19 seasons€“ – six with the Twins and 13 with Boston. The Mariners originally signed him as an amateur free agent back in 1992.  Over the course of his career, Oritz has earned nine All-Star selections and, more importantly, helped the Red Sox to three World Series championships.

MLBTR Originals

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A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:

Cafardo On Cueto, Angels, Red Sox

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In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe looks at the recent phenomenon of teams installing various layers of upper management.  Lately, teams have taken to employing a president of baseball operations, a GM, and then one or two assistant GMs underneath that person.  In baseball circles, this has become known as “title inflation,” Cafardo writes.  One source says that small market teams don’t like this trend, presumably because the larger market teams are able to pluck execs away with fancier titles that really amount to a lateral move.

Here’s more from today’s column..

  • One AL exec told Cafardo that he stayed away from Johnny Cueto at the trade deadline because of a possible elbow issue.  Many believed that Cueto’s elbow didn’t dampen his trade value this summer since he returned to action for the Reds and continued to pitch well, but we know now that it was a turnoff for at least one club.  Since coming over to the Royals, Cueto owns a 4.99 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 across eleven starts, and one can’t help but wonder if the elbow is a factor.  MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently dropped Cueto to eighth in his 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings.
  • Many believe the biggest factor in the Angels’ GM search will be the ability of each candidate to co-exist with manager Mike Scioscia, Cafardo writes. Scioscia, the longtime Halos skipper, has had a fair amount of say in personnel decisions over the years.  Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler has a “good shot” at getting the job, per Cafardo.
  • Cafardo wonders aloud if the Red Sox will allow Torey Lovullo to pursue managerial opportunities this winter.  Lovullo has managed the Red Sox in Farrell’s absence and now has the managerial experience that teams were previously concerned about.
  • Former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire appears ready to get back into managing, Cafardo writes.
  • Jason Varitek, currently serving as a special assistant for the Red Sox, has been mentioned as a managerial candidate.  However, the former catcher’s top priority right now is his family, so it’s not clear if he’d be ready for that kind of grind and commitment.

Red Sox To Appoint Sam Kennedy As President

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The Red Sox announced that Chief Operating Officer Sam Kennedy will take over as club President on October 16th.  Meanwhile, Larry Lucchino has been named President/CEO Emeritus.  “Lucchino will be an active participant in the strategic direction of the franchise and will participate in various issues facing Major League Baseball,” according to the press release, and will remain a member of the Red Sox’s ownership group.

“Larry has helped write a new chapter in the storied history of this franchise,” said Principal Owner John W. Henry in the press release. “He has brought boldness, vision, and intensity each day to Fenway Park. He has also assembled an outstanding team around him, the hallmark of a great CEO.”

Of course, Kennedy will not be involved on the baseball side of things the same way that Lucchino was.  Dave Dombrowski, hired as President of Baseball Operations over the summer, will have control over everything on the field while Kennedy is expected to deal more with business operations.  In the press release, Henry notes that Kennedy has been the heir apparent to Lucchino’s title since 2012.  Team chairman Tom Werner also offered a strong endorsement of Kennedy.

“I have known and worked with Sam for nearly 20 years. We have marveled at his growth and development as one of the top young executives in the sports industry. We could not be happier to entrust him with this position and look forward to working with him on the day-to-day operation of the club,” Werner said.

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